I've always got a couple books on the go and usually in multiple genres. Not generally one for the fluffy, my go-to's are; romantic suspense, real life adventure/bio's, a bit of man-love and I have a soft spot when it comes to the tortured heroes and a good tragedy. What all this says about me...IDK? Oh yeah, I'm also a (GR's) refugee.

This is another great Brockmann quickie that although originally published in 1998 and just 229 pages still feels fresh and complete. I’m just loving her older, stand-alone romances which can be finished in an afternoon and give you everything you’re looking for in a contemporary romance.

FREEDOM’S PRICE is the companion book to (Forbidden) -which is also great- and here we get the other Bartlett brothers story. We first met Liam when his older (sexy cowboy) brother Cal went all trouble-shooterish and rescued him out of a third world prison. Since then I’ve been very curious about how Liam’s story would unfold. Plus I have a thing for complicated, tortured heroes and after years in prison I knew he was going to be one of those fabulous heroes. I also knew that it would take a very special woman to reach him and in former freedom fighter Marisala, he gets his match.

Because of the first book I’d expected Liam’s story to be a romantic suspense. So I was a little surprised when Brockmann set this up as a somewhat comedic, category romance with our heroes meeting in Boston and Liam posing as guardian to Marisala while she attends college. Liam and Marisala shared a past in war torn San Salustiano and she was partly responsible for keeping him alive however at the time she was a teenager.

I guess I expected their story to revolve around Liam rescuing Marisala from the jungle and in-between dodging bullets and bad guys he’d realize that she was a woman and he loved her--or something like that. Instead they order pizza, go shopping and apartment hunting all the while pretending that they’re not attracted to other. What about the war I wondered? What about my tortured hero? Anyways once I came to terms with what this story was going to be about I really enjoyed it (and I still got a tortured hero)

Five years have passed since Liam’s rescue form the jungle and although his injuries have healed he is still scarred and tormented on the inside. Suffering from nightmares, claustrophobia and writers block this is one journalist on the edge. The last thing he needs is to have the past forced back on him and of all the people to be entrusted with it just had to be Marisala. He’s never forgotten the beautiful solider and its all he can do to keep his hands to himself. Of course she’s not helping matters, determined that they would make fabulous lovers.

Marisala is a fantastic alpha heroine; she’s spunky, aggressive and feels that life is worth yelling about unlike Liam who is suffering in silence. Between all the angst there is also a great comedic undertone with Marisala bringing stray dogs and misplaced people into Liam’s once tranquil home. The sexual attraction between our couple is palpable however we of course get several misunderstandings before they can find their HEA including a couple of sigh and oh no she/he didn’t moments. A recommended read. Cheers